Human Resource Management, M.A.

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Program Description

The human resource professional is a critical, strategic team member in today’s quickly changing business environment. In addition to directing the major disciplines within human resource management, this professional must be able to provide leadership for changes within an organization. This leadership involves addressing the social, ethical, environmental, and economic contexts of today’s domestic and internationally focused organizations. The Master of Arts in Human Resource Management program prepares graduates for this challenging role through a series of courses designed to provide essential leadership knowledge and skills. In addition, courses in general management principles and skills are required along with elective course topics. The program’s focus is on maximizing individual and team efforts and developing and applying leadership skills within a human resources department and within the organization.

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the Master of Arts in Human Resource Management program are expected to be able to do the following:

Analyze the role of human resources in supporting organizational strategy.
Develop interdepartmental relationships to further strategic leadership goals.
Evaluate human resource programs in key functional areas.
Create systems for talent management in partnership with organizational leaders.
Collect and interpret data for organizational assessment.
Model and teach effective cross-cultural competence.
Demonstrate critical thinking skills.
Incorporate ethical and legal perspective into all human resource activities.

Program Structure and Delivery

The Master of Arts in Human Resource Management program is offered in a blended format or fully online. Courses delivered in the blended format integrate face-to-face classroom meetings and online activities or interactions in a planned, instructionally valuable manner.

Graduate Certificate Credit Use Toward Degree

Students may use all 12 credits of the Human Resource Management Certificate toward completing the M.A. in Human Resource Management.

Students may substitute 6 credits from any of the following completed SMUMN certificates to replace the writing course (GM623 or MBA612) and GM680 Leadership and Strategic Management. The substitutions allow these certificate students to complete the M.A. in Human Resource Management with just 30 credits. The M.A. in Human Resource Management completion for certificate students may be done online only.

Degree Requirements

Required Human Resource Management Courses	24 cr.
Required Management Courses	9 cr.
Required Capstone Course	3 cr.
Total	36 cr.

Required Human Resource Management Courses: 24 cr.

*Students who possess and can document current certification for either the SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) or the SHRM-SCP (Society for Human Resource Management, Senior Certified Professional) prior to admission to the M.A. in Human Resource Management Program may substitute an additional elective course for the HRM601 course, keeping the 36 total credit requirement. For more details contact program staff.
HRM601 Human Resource Management Strategy (3 cr.)
HRM602 Human Resource Analytics (3 cr.)
HRM604 Training and Development (3 cr.)
HRM606 Employment Law (3 cr.)
HRM609 Labor Relations (3 cr.)
HRM611 Globalization and Diversity (3 cr.)
HRM613 Compensation and Benefits (3 cr.)
HRM614 Negotiating and Consulting (3 cr.)

Required Management Courses: 9 cr.

Students take GM623 Academic Research and Writing (3 cr.) or MBA612 Executive Communication (3 cr.)

Those students with a completed SMUMN graduate certificate listed above may substitute 6 credits from the certificate for these 6 credits of management courses. All students with an HRM certificate and students without a certificate must take these courses.

Required Capstone Course: 3 cr.

HRM689 Human Resource Management Capstone (3 cr.)

Faculty

The faculty members for this program have earned doctorate or master’s degrees. Faculty are selected for their combination of educational and professional experience and expertise.

Admission Requirements

Applicants may apply for admission to master’s degree programs at any time during the year. Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution and maintained an overall grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale. Applicants must demonstrate the language proficiency necessary for successful graduate coursework. Applicants may complete an interview with a program administrator as part of the admission process.

Graduate Certificate to Master’s Degree

Students currently enrolled in a Saint Mary’s University graduate certificate program that can be used toward this degree are eligible to enroll in the master’s program through the Change/Add Program process. Students that have been withdrawn from the university must seek readmission through the Registrar’s office.

Application Process

Applicants must submit the following:

Completed application form with the nonrefundable application fee (fee not required for alumni or students seeking readmission or veterans and active military personnel), and
An official transcript(s) issued to Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota from the institution posting the applicant’s completed bachelor degree and other relevant transcripts documenting program prerequisites and potential transfer credits. (An official transcript is one that is sent to the university by the credit-granting institution. Transcripts from countries other than the U.S. must be evaluated on a course by course basis by a university accepted evaluation service, such as World Education Services, Educational Credential Evaluators, Educational Perspectives, or One Earth International Credential Evaluators and be deemed equivalent to accredited U.S. university standards). Evaluations from an approved member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES.org) will also be accepted.
A reflective essay which includes the following:
1. brief description of the applicant’s background, training, and experience; and
2. statement indicating the career goals of the applicant and their reasons for seeking admission to the program; and
3. description of the areas the applicant considers to be their strengths and areas in which the applicant wishes to develop greater strengths and abilities; and
4. personal information the applicant wishes to share.
Letter(s) of recommendation that verify professional and/or volunteer experience and academic ability; and
A current résumé listing educational background and work experience.
Applicants with international transcripts may require an English language proficiency exam (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or MELAB accepted.)

Please Note: Application materials should be sent to the attention of the Office of Admission on the Twin Cities Campus.

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
Office of Admission
2500 Park Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55404

Winona Campus

Twin Cities Campus

Rochester Locations

Online